Senate debates

Monday, 31 August 2020

• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Finance and Public Administration References Committee, Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Committee, Intelligence and Security Joint Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
    I remind senators the question may be put on any proposal at the request of any senator. There being none, I will call the Clerk.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Australian Education Legislation Amendment (Prohibiting the Indoctrination of Children) Bill 2020; Second Reading (10 speeches)
    The purpose of this legislation is to give parents the legal right to protect their children from indoctrination at school. Educators argue there is no need for legislation to protect children...
  • Freedom of Information Legislation Amendment (Improving Access and Transparency) Bill 2018; Second Reading (12 speeches)
    Before I speak to the Freedom of Information Legislation Amendment (Improving Access and Transparency) Bill 2018, I want to briefly share some FOI philosophy. I'll quote from James Madison in...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Murray-Darling Basin; Order for the Production of Documents (9 speeches)
    I thank the Senate for the opportunity to speak in response to Senator Patrick's questions and take the opportunity to correct some of the fundamentally incorrect statements in his original...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Coronavirus Economic Response Package (Jobkeeper Payments) Amendment Bill 2020; Second Reading (3 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the Coronavirus Economic Response Package (Jobkeeper Payments) Amendment Bill 2020. The Labor Party is supporting this bill, but that's not to say we think that the bill is...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • COVID-19: Aged Care (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck. How many residents in aged care have passed away due to COVID-19? When did the minister first become aware...
  • COVID-19: State and Territory Border Closures (26 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. Last Friday at the Daily Telegraph's bush summit, the Prime Minister acknowledged the heavy burden of restrictions...
  • COVID-19: Aged Care (16 speeches)
    My question is to Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck. Today the Minister for Health announced additional funding to stop the COVID-19 aged-care crisis. Why has it...
  • COVID-19: Pensions and Benefits (12 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator Ruston. Minister, next month, when there will be 1.8 million people on the JobSeeker payment and youth allowance, the...
  • Sport Australia (11 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Youth and Sport, Senator Colbeck. On 27 February Sport Australia told the Select Committee on the Administration of Sports Grants that it would provide the...
  • Climate Change (11 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. In 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020 I cross-examined CSIRO's climate research team on four presentations to me. That...
  • COVID-19: Mental Health (9 speeches)
    My question is to Senator Cash, the Minister representing the Minister for Health. Can the minister outline to the Senate how the Morrison government is investing in mental health support for...
  • Aged Care (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck. Today Minister Hunt announced $92.4 million in funding to prevent aged-care workers from working at multiple...
  • Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Reynolds. Can the minister advise the Senate of the defence outcomes from the recent AUSMIN meetings with her US counterpart?
  • COVID-19: Aged Care (30 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck: Tragically, more than 457 aged-care residents have died from COVID-19, and there are now more than 951 active...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • COVID-19: Aged Care (7 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians (Senator Colbeck) to questions without notice asked by Labor senators today relating to...
  • COVID-19: Pensions and Benefits (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Families and Social Services (Senator Ruston) to a question without notice asked by Senator Siewert today relating to...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Withdrawal (1 speech)
    Pursuant to notice given on 27 August 2020 on behalf of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, I withdraw notices of motion proposing the disallowance of three...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (1 speech)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to the following senators due to COVID-19 travel restrictions: Senator Hanson, Senator Roberts, Senator Abetz and Senator McDonald....
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee; Reporting Date (1 speech)
    Thank you. I remind senators that the question may be put on any proposal at the request of any senator. There being none, I shall now proceed to the discovery of formal business.
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Automotive Industry (4 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Marielle Smith, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) for many years there has been a lack of access for independent repairers to digital files...
  • Nuclear Weapons (2 speeches)
    I ask that general business notice of motion No. 751, standing in the name of Senator Ayres, be taken as a formal motion.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Australia's Family Law System Joint Select Committee; Reporting Date (7 speeches)
    At the request of Senator O'Sullivan, I move: That— (a) the time for the presentation of the final report of the Joint Select Committee on Australia's Family Law System be extended to the...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • MV Al Kuwait; Order for the Production of Documents (4 speeches)
    I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 758 in the terms circulated in the chamber. Leave granted. I move the motion as amended: That there be laid on the table, by the...
  • Workplace Gender Equality (7 speeches)
    I, at the request of Senator Waters, move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) this year, 28 August marked Equal Pay Day, reflecting that, on average, women need to work an...
  • Workplace Relations (5 speeches)
    Before moving general business notice of motion No. 757, I ask that the names of Senators Green and Chisholm be added to the motion. At the request of Senators Watt, Green and Chisholm, I move:...
• Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
  • COVID-19: Aged Care, COVID-19: Aged-Care Workers (34 speeches)
    I inform the Senate that at 8.30 am today 18 proposals were received in accordance with standing order 75. The question of which proposal would be submitted to the Senate was determined by lot....
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Commonwealth Ombudsman; Consideration (3 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the document. I rise to take note of a series of assessments of detention arrangements conducted by the Commonwealth Ombudsman, and they are Nos 23 to 27 of...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (More Flexible Superannuation) Bill 2020; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill may proceed without formalities and be now read a first time. Question agreed to. Bill read a first time.
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (More Flexible Superannuation) Bill 2020; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speech read as follows— This Bill delivers on...
• Regulations and Determinations (0 speeches)
  • Industry Research and Development (Bankable Feasibility Study on High-Efficiency Low-Emissions Coal Plant in Collinsville Program) Instrument 2020; Disallowance (21 speeches)
    It's good to finish off the speaking on this bill. I seem to recall that last time we started off by pointing out that this side of the chamber is the side of the chamber that believes in jobs...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Coronavirus Economic Response Package (Jobkeeper Payments) Amendment Bill 2020; Second Reading (22 speeches)
    I rise to continue my speech on the Coronavirus Economic Response Package (Jobkeeper Payments) Amendment Bill 2020. Women are already bearing the brunt of the economic impacts of the...
  • Coronavirus Economic Response Package (Jobkeeper Payments) Amendment Bill 2020; In Committee (11 speeches)
    by leave—I move opposition amendments (2), (9), (10) and (11) on sheet 1014: (2) Schedule 2, item 9, page 8 (line 20), omit "5A,". (9) Schedule 2, item 47, page 31 (lines 4 and 5), omit the...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Foreign Affairs (1 speech)
    I rise in this adjournment debate to recognise the importance of the proposed foreign relations bill, the details of which were announced last Thursday by the Prime Minister and the foreign...
  • Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements, Mining (2 speeches)
    I rise tonight to cover two important issues that I think are worthy of some attention. The first is the tabling today of the interim observations from the Royal Commission into Natural Disaster...
  • Pensions and Benefits (1 speech)
    I rise tonight to talk about our continued failure relating to mutual obligation and the program of support. I was very disappointed to see the government reintroduce mutual obligations at the...
  • e-Cigarette Products (1 speech)
    Tonight I want to speak about a topic I'm not a personal expert in and I don't have personal knowledge of. I have never vaped in my life, but I've come to defend the interests of those who do...